For all our beautiful brides don’t miss the opportunity to win the Tarte Cosmetics Bridal giveway!! Tarte partnered with theknot.com to offer this awesome beauty giveaway. One grand prize winner will receive a mother of pearl plated compact from the 1950’s (something old) a $500 gifct card to Saks Fifth Avenue , a set of bridal magazines and bridal books from The Knot, and a set of tarte products(something new) , and 2 tarte makeup artists to do your makeup and the makeup of 5 members of your bridal party plus a makeup trial run on your wedding day! (something borrowed).

This is an epic bridal day giveaway that I wanted to share with all of you!! Don’t miss your chance, the deadline is 6/15/2014. Good luck!!

If you are like me then you probably have hoards of makeup at home and are looking for ways to store them. Many of us don’t always use the makeup we have simply because we forget about it, can’t find it, or it is hidden in a drawer somewhere. One of the best ways to start the New Year is by doing a makeup cleansing and reorganizing.

Organizing can sound daunting to some, but it actually can be quite cathartic. According to Elizabeth Scott, M.S., (2011) organizing can be great for stress management. Now we all made resolutions in the New Year, some chose losing weight, others chose to quit vices. One easy and affordable way to improve your stress management and beauty life is through makeup organization!

Step 1. Finding the Right Storage!

Finding the right storage can be a lot of fun. First figure out what type of space you are working with. Do you do your makeup in your room, in the bathroom, or a closet? Figure out your space and then assess what will fit into that area. Depending on your space and budget there are items that will help get your makeup inline.

Here are some easy makeup storage solutions:

Acrylic trays: These are great for counter top storage. These work for powders, lipsticks, or even disposables such as cotton balls, q-tips, sponges. etc. These are inexpensive and easy to find at stores such as Target and Wal-Mart.

Toolboxes and craft boxes are another excellent way of storing your makeup. You can find these for $19.96 at Home Depot store or even at craftstores like Michaels. These are a great way to store makeup because it can be cataloged labeled and you can see through so you know what you have available.

Stackable drawers are another great way of storing makeup. These can also be found at Wal-Mart and Target and range in price depending on the size you get. The only challenge with these is they can begin to become a dumping ground of various products. So if you do opt for drawers like the ones below add organizing inserts and label each drawer so you keep things neat!

Office storage products are excellent ways of storing makeup! They are affordable and easily accessible. Today’s office storage solutions are also a lot more fashionable then in years past so you have the option of customizing units to fit your style and decor.

Do it yourself! For those of you who are crafty you can create your own makeup storage solutions. Such as makeup boards or brush storage like the ones featured below.

Acrylic Drawers are a fantastic way to store your makeup. Many people first saw these on Keeping up with the Kardashians. These drawers look beautiful on counters and are excellent for easily locating your product. If your budget can afford them they retail from $150-$300.00 depending on the size of each unit.

Step 2. The Purge!

This is the scary and often frustrating part of organizing. gather all your makeup together on a large table and organize each piece into different piles. Put products into groups of like items (shadows together, liners together, etc.). Now that you have them grouped, take a long hard look at each item and ask yourself “do I use this? Will I use this?”

If you answered no to either question, then toss it! We tend to hang on to things for too long!! If you have had it for more than 2 years and its barely been touched, chances are you will never use it! Pair down to items you will use and can use on a daily basis or, special occasions, or fun nights out. If anything is broken and something you will use, you can always put into a new container.

Parting with product can be tough, but trust me it will be worth it!

Step 3. The Cleanse!

Now that you have paired down to products that you love and will use take a moment to clean them off. Too often we leave makeup in drawers, bags etc., and they can tend to get grimy from powders etc. Use makeup wipes on the outsides of packaging and around the rims to help clean off excess makeup etc. So it will bring them back to what once was.

Step 3. Put it Together!

This is the fun part! Think of it as getting a new purse! We all love taking our stuff out and adding it to a brand new purse. Now that you have everything grouped and have your organizers take time to organize on your desk in an efficient way remembering to keep ‘like’ items together. I like to also keep items based on the order of how i do my makeup and organizing from Left to right. I am the type who likes things easily accessible, within close reach, and visible. Here is a great way of taking advantage of counter top storage as well as drawers and inserts. However you decide to place and organize make sure its functional, practical, and looks good! Having your makeup organized in a beautiful way will encourage more use.

No matter what, have fun and make it a project with a friend or roommate. Get creative and get inspired.